Life's a drag for petrolheads

Mark Clifford getting his 1970 Holden Premier 308 ready for this weekend's drag races at the Easternats.
Picture: Jason South

By day Jim Kotsonas works in taxation, but when he's not adding figures he likes nothing more than reading them off the three large gauges fitted to his 1976 Celica.

The 26-year-old from Noble Park is one of more than 25,000 people heading to the Easternats at Sandown this weekend for a petrol-fuelled good time.

Mr Kotsonas has spent every Easter at Sandown surrounded by rubber, chrome and gleaming paint jobs for eight years. He has been competing for five.

"The people here might look as rough as guts... but they're all friendly and everyone has a real passion for the same thing," he said. "You can't get this anywhere else."

After registering his prized racing-green car with officials yesterday, Mr Kotsonas walked a lap of Sandown checking out who, and what, he might be competing against. "I might do the drags... maybe the burnouts as well.

"It's just great to be here again," he said, eyeing a Gemini that rumbled into view.

For the 700 people expected to show their customised cars at Sandown this weekend, it's a chance to indulge in an event that almost didn't happen.

In January, Greater Dandenong Council rejected an application to renew a permit for the Easternats after complaints from nearby residents, including excessive noise from vehicles and rubbish left behind by people attending the event.

The decision was later overturned. Promoter Jon Davison said he was relieved the council had taken the event's positive track record into account.

He said he planned to continue working with police to ensure it was well managed. "Those councillors who voted against it voted against a motoring event at a motor sport venue... but it was a small number who, I think, simply overreacted to the complaints of a vocal minority," he said.

Cr Angela Long told The Age that if the council had failed to support the event, the area would have lost the $1.5 million that the Easternats pumped into the local economy each year.

She said Springvale was fortunate to have a purpose-built track for such an event. Jim Kotsonas is just pleased the matter didn't reach that stage. "There's a great atmosphere here every year... it's not dangerous and it saves people from doing it (drag racing) on the streets."